The British Expedition to Abyssinia was a rescue mission and punitive expedition carried out in 1868 by the armed forces of the British Empire against the Ethiopian Empire (also known at the time as Abyssinia). Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia, then often referred to by the anglicized name Theodore, imprisoned several missionaries and two representatives of the British government in an attempt to force the British government to comply with his requests for military assistance. The punitive expedition launched by the British in response required the transportation of a sizeable military force hundreds of kilometres across mountainous terrain lacking any road system. The formidable obstacles to the action were overcome by the commander of the expedition, General Robert Napier, who captured the Ethiopian capital, and rescued all the hostages.

This account of the 1867/68 campaign is by an officer of the 3rd Dragoon Guards, one of the regiments involved, and in the introduction he states clearly that his aim has everywhere been impartiality; his object truth. He begins with a brief but informative historical background to the country of Abyssinia, going back to the earliest days and leading up to the reasons for the despatch of an expedition against the Christian Emperor Theodore III. Briefly, the British Consul, Captain Cameron, was sent home by Theodore with a letter to Queen Victoria which reached the Foreign Office in February 1863 but, due to Foreign Office cack-handedness never reached the Queen. The lack of any response and a visit by Cameron (after he had returned from England in January1864) to the Egyptian frontier town of Kassala infuriated the Abyssinian monarch who had Cameron and his staff thrown into prison. The British made a belated effort to retrieve the situation through an emissary, Mr Rassam, who arrived in January 1866 but hefully described by the author, and he is not slow to criticize. Then follows a detailed account of the advance of Napier s force, a sharp action at Arogi in which Abyssinian losses amounted to about 1,900 of whom 700 were killed with British casualties numbering twenty wounded, two of whom died. After this the prisoners were released, but Napier pressed on to the capital, Magdala which was captured and the fortress destroyed. Theodore committed suicide. The final chapter looks back over the campaign, describing the withdrawal of the force and including an interesting examination of the cost and the reasons why it exceeded expectations.

The Expedition to Magdala of 1867-1868 was a memorable event in British Military history of warfare in general, and in the history of Ethiopia. Meticulously planned and executed, the campaign was a triumph for its commander, Sir Robert Napier. It was notable for the use of Elephants imported from India, the building of a port railway and the use of breech-loading rifles, the first time they employed in War.

"Although many of the works on show in the exhibition catalogued in this superb publication appeared at the time in the Illustrated London News, for most readers this will be their first opportunity to see them in colour. Indeed, several of the sketches have never before been published in their original form ? notably William Simpson?s drawing of Prince Alemayehou, which was executed only a few days after the death of his father, the Emperor Tewedros, and of whom very few images have been handed down to us. Readers are also treated to a number of fascinating tidbits, such as the methods practiced by publishers? studio staff to enhance landscape sketches with the addition of human figures, and many will be intrigued to learn of the ?cut and paste? origins of the graphic cover used to illustrate John Pridham?s musical composition commemorating the battle.Professors Pankhurst and Northrup are to be congratulated not only for a succinct and readable presentation of the historical background, but for their insight into the relationship between Ethiopia and the outside world prevailing in the mid-19th century. Whereas previous writers have tended to portray events leading up to the ?Abyssinian difficulty? through European eyes; the reader can now begin to see them in the Ethiopian context. It is a sad irony that it is only in the 21st century that we begin to see that Tewedros?s cultural values had more in common with the pre-Renaissance world of Prester John than with post-industrial revolution Britain. Clearly the British government?s outrage at the imprisonment of its consul, and Napier?s subsequent refusal to accept anything less than total surrender ? even after the release of the prisoners ? would not have been anticipated or even understood by an essentially medi?val monarch. Both Ethiopianists and lovers of military art will be grateful to Frederic Sharf for a unique and important publication. Following hard on the heels of Diary of a Journey to Abyssinia, this carefully prepared exhibition of paintings and drawings of Britain?s Abyssinia expedition fills some significant gaps in our knowledge of 19th century Ethiopia."Ian Campbell, Scholar on Ethiopian Art History